Tree as a weapon, an object of strength testing, and a cosmological image in epic traditions: olonkho, bylins and the Armenian epic

The study examines archaic layers of epic consciousness through the prism of the tree image functioning as a weapon, a test of heroic strength, and a cosmological symbol. The novelty of the research lies in presenting the first systematic comparative analysis of the motif of uprooting trees across three distinct epic traditions: the Yakut olonkho, East Slavic bylins, and the Armenian heroic epic Sasna Tsrer (David of Sassoun, Daredevils of Sassoun). The tree is analyzed not merely as an element of landscape description, but as a semantically charged object connecting the hero with the mythological vertical structure of the world.

The article aims to identify typological similarities and functional differences in the use of the tree motif within various epic systems. To achieve this goal, the study analyzes motifs of uprooting trees, their use in combat, in initiatory situations, and in cosmological acts associated with the transformation and purification of space.

The research employs a comparative-typological method, allowing the identification of universal patterns in the development of epic traditions. A semiotic approach is applied to the analysis of the heroes’ material world and the symbolic functions of the tree, while the historical-genetic method facilitates the reconstruction of archaic mythopoetic layers reflecting the transition from “natural” to culturally forged weapons.

The selection of the Yakut olonkho, Russian bylins, and the Armenian epic is determined by the fact that these traditions represent different levels of preservation of archaic epic consciousness and different functional realizations of the tree motif – from cosmological and ritual forms to heroic-combat and locally practical ones. Their comparison makes it possible to trace the typological evolution of the motif within a broad Eurasian context.

The study demonstrates that in olonkho the tree (spruce, birch) preserves the most archaic cosmological significance and is connected with the idea of the World Tree, spatial transformation, and the restoration of cosmic balance. In Russian bylins, the uprooted oak primarily symbolizes the excessive physical power of the bogatyr, while still retaining traces of archaic mythological semantics associated with the World Tree. In the Armenian epic, the tree (poplar, plane tree, aspen) functions mainly as a natural substitute for conventional weapons and reflects the historicization of epic consciousness and its connection with everyday material culture.

The comparative analysis reveals a general typological transformation of the motif: from a cosmologically meaningful act associated with mythological conceptions of the universe toward its gradual functional reduction and reinterpretation within heroic-epic narrative structures. The article concludes that the use of the tree in epic traditions represents not only a formula of heroic hyperbole, but also a transformed relic of ancient mythological notions concerning cosmic order and the hero’s place within it.

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